A princess consort is the female equivalent to a prince consort. It is given to the spouse of a king regent, if the title queen consort is inappropriate. Prince consort, generally speaking, is the husband of a Queen regnant (unless he himself is a king). ... For the head of state, see Monarch. ... King George V of the United Kingdom and his consort, Queen Mary A queen consort is the wife and consort of a reigning king. ...

In western monarchies the title is not common, but it will be given to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, as an alternative to "queen consort" if and when Charles, Prince of Wales becomes King of the United Kingdom and the 15 other Commonwealth Realms. This is due to the somewhat controversial nature of the Prince's relationship with her, as both have previously been married and divorced, and they have been lovers for many years. Following her wedding the former Camilla Parker Bowles uses the style Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall. If and when Charles ascends to the throne she will be known as Her Royal Highness The Princess Consort. Although she may not be known as Queen Camilla, barring an Act of Parliament, she will legally become queen consort the moment Charles ascends the throne. For related meanings see also Monarch (disambiguation) A monarchy, (from the Greek monos, one, and archein, to rule) is a form of government that has a monarch as Head of State. ... The Duchess of Cornwall and the Prince of Wales Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla Rosemary Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Parker Bowles, née Shand) (born 17 July 1947), styled HRH The Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, is a member of the British Royal Family. ... His Royal Highness The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor) (born 14 November 1948), the eldest son of HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, is Heir Apparent to the thrones of the United Kingdom and over a dozen Commonwealth... The eldest son of the reigning monarch ofEngland/Great Britain is traditionally invested with the title of Prince of Wales. ... For the head of state, see Monarch. ... A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states of the Commonwealth that recognize Queen Elizabeth II as their Queen and head of state. ... The Duchess of Cornwall is the title held by the wife of the Duke of Cornwall. ... In Westminster System parliaments, an Act of Parliament is a part of the law passed by the Parliament. ...

Previously, all women married to British kings regnant (except Mary II who was a joint-sovereign) have become queens consort. In addition Mary I's husband, Phillip was made king consort. The creation of the title princess consort may be seen as a modern version of the tradition of morganatic marriage, which was used in Europe in earlier centuries when a royal personage wished to marry a person whose rank was too low for them to be granted full royal status under the social values of the time. The morganatic spouse would not receive his or her spouse's full title, although he or she might be granted a lower title, and the children of the marriage would not be in the line of succession to the throne. However, the issue in this case is not the prior rank of the Duchess of Cornwall, as few people would now object to an heir to the throne marrying a commoner (though she is from a noble and aristocratic family), but the personal histories involved. Morganatic marriage was proposed but dismissed as a possibility for Wallis Simpson, who married the former King Edward VIII after his abdication. Mary II Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland Mary II (30 April 1662–28 December 1694) was Queen of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689 until her death, and Queen of Scotland from 11 April 1689 until her death. ... Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 6 July 1553 (de jure) or 19 July 1553 (de facto) until her death. ... Philip II of Spain (1527 – September 13, 1598), King of Spain (r. ... King consort is a title given in some monarchies to the husband of a Queen regnant. ... A morganatic marriage is a type of marriage which can be contracted in certain countries, usually between persons of unequal social rank (unebenbürtig in German), which prevents the passage of the husbands titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow or occasionally Curnow) is the part of Great Britains south-west peninsula that is west of the River Tamar, often known as the Cornish peninsula or plateau. ... Bessie Wallis Warfield Spencer Simpson Windsor (June 19, 1896 - April 24, 1986), best known as Wallis Simpson and later still Her Grace The Duchess of Windsor, was a mistress, and later wife, of the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom and was largely responsible for his abdication of... His Majesty King Edward VIII, (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David), later His Royal Highness The Duke of Windsor (23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972) was the second British monarch of the House of Windsor. ... Abdication (from the Latin abdicatio disowning, renouncing, from ab, from, and dicare, to declare, to proclaim as not belonging to one), the act whereby a person in office renounces and gives up the same before the expiry of the time for which it is held. ...

The issue of children is unlikely to apply in the case of Charles and Camilla, due to her age.

See also

• King consort
• Prince consort
• Duchess of Cornwall